The “NY Anthem” You Didn’t Ask For

Here’s something to get you outraged this Wednesday, my easily-excitable music fan friend. Californian alt-rock group Faulkner released a track via Billboard yesterday titled “NY Anthem.” To make matters worse, or better depending on your perspective, Wu-Tang commander-in-chief RZA lends a verse to the song, referencing different New York landmarks and locations.

We have a few issues with the song, not the least of which is the perplexing artist pairing, which RZA says resulted in “great energy” in the studio. First, what is this Venice-based group doing with a song called “NY Anthem”? How about “NY Dreams,” or “NY, I Miss You” or “NY, You’re Pretty Great” or “NY Is A Swell City.” YOU DON’T KNOW US FAULKNER, OKAY?! We have our fair share of “anthems,” from the likes of Frank Sinatra and Cam’ron, people who truly get us as a population, so yeah, shit is all good on that front.

Furthermore, who is Faulkner? Do they get their name from the author William Faulkner? He was from a town in Mississippi called New Albany, so maybe there are truly deep and subtle New York roots here after all. The story goes that the group got together with RZA after he called the lead singer – from a blocked number, naturally – in response to a demo he was sent. *Demos from around the world parachute and paper airplane onto RZAs lawn.*

Faulker is slated to release Street Axioms later this year, though if you ask us, the title is a huge missed opportunity. The literary Faulkner penned “The Sound and the Fury,” which is a pretty apt description of what’s going on presently.